The present invention discloses a method, system and computer program embarked in a vehicle, for estimating traffic conditions based on positioning information exchanged with other vehicles using wireless communication. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by at least one vehicle, the positioning information for each vehicle including: information related to a current location of the vehicle; and information identifying the vehicle; calculating based on at least two successive locations of a same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the vehicle; and estimating current traffic conditions based on current location, speed and direction of identified vehicles.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for estimating a current traffic condition based on positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the method comprising: receiving, using a wireless communication system, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising: information related to a current location of the vehicle; and information identifying the vehicle; storing, using a cartographic information repository, the positioning information for each vehicle; calculating, using a micro-controller, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle; estimating, using the micro-controller, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, for each vehicle: repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising: the information related to the determined current location; and the identifying information.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises: a current latitude of the vehicle; and a current longitude of the vehicle.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles, further comprises: associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calculating further comprises, for each received positioning information: identifying at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle; calculating the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of each identified vehicle; and recording the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating current traffic information further comprises: generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.
12. A system for use in a vehicle for estimating a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, comprising: at least one traffic manager device including: a system for receiving the positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising: the information related to the current location of the vehicle; and the information identifying the vehicle; a system for storing the positioning information for each vehicle; a system for calculating based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle; a system for estimating the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and a system for adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving system when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.
13. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising, for each vehicle: a system for repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and a system for broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising: information related to the determined current location; and the identifying information.
14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises: a current latitude of the vehicle; and a current longitude of the vehicle.
15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.
16. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles further comprises: a system for associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.
17. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for calculating is configured, for each received positioning information, to: identify at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle; calculate the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of the each identified vehicle; and record the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.
18. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: a system for representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.
19. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: a system for aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and a system for representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.
20. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating current traffic information further comprises: a system for generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.
21. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: a system for alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.
22. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises: a system for recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.
23. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed, estimates a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the computer readable medium comprising program code for: receiving, using a receiving device, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising: information related to a current location of the vehicle; and information identifying the vehicle; storing the positioning information for each vehicle; calculating, using a computing device, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle; estimating, using the computing device, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 25, 2007
April 19, 2011
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